The definition sums things up nicely for what appears to be the goal local condo builders and owners are trying to achieve through shared spaces in their condominiums. Demographics play a large part in the choice of building amenities condos include, but with Edmonton and Calgary growing into quite the metropolitan areas, what once was considered an extravagant feature has become relatively standard now.

The U.S. tends to grab on to spending trends earlier than its Canadian counterparts, and condo owners’ building amenities wish list items are no exception. Notes Judy Stark in her 2005 St. Petersburg Times piece on the subject: “The fitness centre, the spa, the pool, the concierge desk—once the hallmarks of exclusive, upscale condominiums—are now considered basics, amenities every project must include as a matter of course.”
Calgary’s Astoria on Tenth falls right in line with Stark’s description. The upscale high-rise is planned for completion in the summer of 2010, but that has not stopped the project’s developer, Arcus Developments, from already marketing (locally and internationally) its $10-million penthouse as well as fourth-floor shared amenity rooms. “We’ve basically dedicated a whole half of the fourth floor to these things,” says Gerry Mendyk, president of Arcus Developments, citing the building’s owner’s lounge and bar, private cinema and fitness studio overlooking the city, and rooftop terrace. “We wanted to create the ultimate in entertainment and lifestyle amenities to capture the imagination and provide a gracious hotel-style environment,” he says.

Mendyk explains the rooms give people a place to congregate and get to know neighbours, which can be challenging in a condo structure due to an absence of a front yard, which single-family home dwellers make use of by waving to and chit-chatting with neighbours. “The theme is sort of to develop a sense of community here,” Mendyk says.

Brian Scott, marketing, technology and research director of Edmonton-based Communitas Group, agrees with Mendyk’s social neighbourhood thinking. “We believe (amenity rooms) really enhance the strength of the community and people’s connections with each other,” he says. “It’s about convenience and community.” And, based on positive feedback from its condo dwellers, the Communitas Group will continue to include amenity rooms in its condo projects, such as the Rossdale Green.

Rossdale Green will be built with the Communitas Group’s previous Edmonton complex, Grandin Green, as its template. The new environmentally-friendly condo will be slightly smaller, housing 39 households instead of 52, but will boast the same amenities—a large central meeting room with full kitchen, a guest suite, fitness room and a quiet lounge for reading or socializing—all uniquely occupying the whole of the top floor. “The feedback we got was that people would be willing to pay more on their own units by having amenity space on the top floor,” Scott says, adding his company agrees with its co-operative condo owners that this method of design enhances the value of every household in the complex, not just one or two penthouses as in a typical condo design.

Scott says Communitas Group purposely does not include pools in its buildings because water boosts maintenance costs—and condo fees passed on to owners—significantly. Conversely, he believes the additional costs amenity rooms create for owners in Grandin Green are minimal. “I’d be very surprised to hear if people would not want the space (top-floor common rooms) to save on the fees,” says Scott. He also believes Communitas Group’s workshop rooms (located on lower levels) help those downsizing from single-family homes to ease into condo living, because even though their personal residence does not have space for woodworking, ski waxing or shelf painting, they don’t have to abandon their interests. “People see (amenity rooms) as an extension of their homes.”

The frequency of building amenity use comes in to play for buyers to consider. Is it really worth the extra cost for something that can be accessed outside of the complex? “Surveys show only 16 per cent of residents use (in-condo) amenities,” says Judy Hunt, Calgary Churchill Estates sales professional, which is why the builder/developer, Homburg–Centron Teamworks, decided not to include a fitness or meeting room in this Eau Claire condo.

Communitas Group would never go to the extent of some other Edmonton condo complexes with pools, banks and theatres where, “you literally come home and never have to leave,” Scott says. “It’s not meant to replace people from going outside for activities, it’s meant to enhance their lives.”

Mendyk sums it up as such: “At the end of the day, it will be controlled by the condo association and you know if down the road they decide a fitness studio or cinema isn’t the best use of their resources, they can always redesign it into something else.”

The ultimate decision is up to the buyer, but it may be worth shopping around for building amenities as much as shopping for in-suite extras.